I know that some of you have been begging me for another picture of myself....so here you go and with the Pyramids in the background! (see Dustin, I told you I'd see them eventually) 

My distraction......

Okay, so this week we are on a break fro Eid and I've had a lot of time on my hands. We leave for Nuweiba in the morning, so in the meantime, I've been utilizing a wonderful little website to help pass the time. If you are a huge fan of the original Nintendo (or Sega, Gameboy and some others), I highly recommend that you visit this site:

http://www.everyvideogame.com/

This is the website for Everyvideogame.com It literally has hundreds of original games that you can play online for free. I've been addicted to Mike Tyson's Punch Out and Super Tecmo Bowl lately. So if you get bored at work, need help procrastinating or are just looking to finally defeat that game that gave you fits as a child (Damn you Ghosts' n Goblins!!) check it out, you may just get addicted....again.

My Day as a Tourist.....

For those of you that check often, you'll remember that often I'm treated as a tourist. Partially due to the color of my skin and partially due to my inability to speak Arabic. Well on Saturday Alex, Kain and myself rented a taxi for a couple of hours and were taken on a little tour of parts of Cairo. It was my first real "Tourist Day" here.

We started off by heading to a 600 years old and it even had the original key to the door! We got to go in and walk around for a little while before the noon prayer. It was pretty impressive inside. The archways were huge and impressive. We even went into a tomb, which was pretty sweet.

We also walked up to the top of the building and got to look around on the roof. The view from the tower was pretty neat. I'll be honest though, I'm not a fan of heights, so I didn't stay up there too long. There was a great view of Islamic Cairo though.

After that we taxied over to Coptic Cairo (all the different religious parts of the city in one day!!) to see a couple of churches. The driver dropped us off in an Islamic neighborhood and told us how to get there while he fixed the car (??). After a five minute walk, we got to see the Hanging Church and the Church of St. George. Both were pretty cool, but I loved the Hanging Church. It had some amazing Mosaics, and a beautiful courtyard. I'll have to go back there sometime.

The next stop on our whirlwind tour was an oil shop near the Pyramids. Just seeing the Pyramids was an amazing sight. They're huge!!! It's hard to imagine that people, PEOPLE, had to drag/pull/tug and any thing else you can think of to get them into place. I'll definitely get there again and next time I'll be able to get some closer pictures.

After visiting the oil shop, we headed back to Heliopolis. The end of the trip turned into our driver trying to convince us that Islam was the way to go. While this was very frustrating, I expected it, especially since it is the end of Ramadan and all. No need to worry though, I still love Jesus.

A mosaic from the Hanging Church in Coptic Cairo. 

My Hook up.....

I know that some of you will read the title to this post and be thinking bad thoughts.....but get your collective heads out of the gutter, this is not that kind of hook up.

Last week I took it upon myself to get the satellite set up. We had the TV, now we just needed something on it. So I called Showtime cable on Thursday night, in an attempt to get it set up as soon as possible. I had a man answer the phone and after a few minutes of making sure the prices were right, I told him that I would go for it. Then he asked when I wanted it installed and this is what followed:

ME: When can I get it set up?
CG (Cable Guy): Whenever you want.

ME: Really? How about tomorrow?
CG: Um....tomorrow? But tomorrow's Friday.

ME: Yeah, I realize that.
CG: But that's the weekend.....ummm

ME: So, you don't do Fridays?
CG: That's the weekend...

ME: Okay, so I assume that means Saturday is out of the question too huh?
CG: Saturday is also the weekend.

ME: Thanks for that. Okay, no Friday or Saturday.
CG: Yes, but we can come whenever you like.

ME: Oh, okay. How late do your guys work?
CG: Ummm.....what do you mean?

ME: I mean how late can they come out? It's only 7 pm. Can they do it tonight?
CG: Ummm...but it's dark outside and it's Ramadan.

ME: Okay, so now we have the restrictions. No weekends and they have to be done before dark?CG: Well, actually, they have to be done by 3 pm, because it's Ramadan.

ME: WHAT??? But it doesn't get dark until 5!!??

After this we finally agreed on Sunday at 1 pm. They showed up to my apartment around noon and stayed until I was got home around 2 pm. Then, instead of charging it to my credit card, I had to pay cash to get it set up (which was LE 700). It was incredible.

However, now we have satellite. I can't tell you how much my attitude improved when I was able to watch a college football game and a NFL game on Sunday (even though it was Houston vs. Dallas). We even get Seinfeld and The Simpsons. Best Part--I watched Fraggle Rock for the first time in a decade on Monday. It was fantastic!!!

My Second week....

It has been a while since I last posted, so I put up two new experiences for you to check out and even a couple of pictures.

The second week of school has come and gone and it's going a little smoother. The students are beginning to understand my expectations of them and how to behave in the classroom, especially when I'm there. The only real issue is that we continue to have to bounce from room to room to see our classes. This wouldn't be that big of an issue, but when the teacher that is supposed to replace you shows up late (sometimes up to 20 minutes late) it puts you in a bit of a bad mood. Especially since time is limited anyways due to the Ramadan schedule.

I'm also trying to add a new link on here for those of you that want to check it out (probably only Jenna, but the rest of you can too). It is from a group of teachers here that are in a writing club and they have just started a blog to display some of their works. Check it out, leave a comment and enjoy the show.

Mosque with the moon in the background. 

Alex and I at the cafe. 

My first Indy Experience....

On Wednesday night I got to have my first Indiana Jones type experience. Alex and I went with Gheda and Hollis to the Khan al-Khalili market in Islamic Cairo. It being Ramadan and going at night, we were sure to see some cool things.

The market was crowded and filled with little shops/stalls in tight alleys. It felt as though we were in a maze at first, twisting and turning this way and that, all the while looking at t-shirts, bronzed statues, stone pharoahs and sphinxes. We eventually ended up at a cafe located in side the market.

The cafe was packed and smokey. Everyone was out and smoking a little sheesha (water pipe) with their coffee, water and whatever else they decided to have. It was a great little joint. At one point Alex made the comment that it was like going to a baseball game, because as you sat there, peddlers came around with bracelets, peanuts, flowers and hena tattoos, trying to sell them to you. We even had a bread guy come along. We sat there for an hour, drinking Coke and watching the people pass by. It was a lot of fun.

We then left and wandered around the market for a little while longer. After which we went back and caught a cab back to Heliopolis. It was interesting seeing all the shops and listening to their owners trying to sell you things. You would always here, "oh, please come look here." or "Would you like a bracelet?" One man even said, "Hey Indiana". That was the best. I chuckled for a while at that one.
At one point a man tried talking to me and he followed me for a while asking where I was from. I constantly just said "No" to him until finally he asked me if I would like any hash. The final no was a little more forceful and he decided to head back to his stall.

One funny point came when we first entered the market. Some random little kid saw Alex and came up to him and started holding his hands. It was awesome! He just stood there and followed us, holding his hands. Then the kid switched and started holding Hollis' hand. After giving him a pound, he went away. Good times.

My Twilight Zone Experience.....

Last weekend Alex and I decided to try and visit the American University in Cairo (AUC) bookstore, which is located downtown, right near the Nile. The trip started off well. We got a ride from Nader, one of our coworkers husbands. A nice man who is taking classes there. This bookstore is suppose to have one of the best collections of English books in the city. So we were pretty excited about the adventure, not to mention getting new books.
He dropped us off and gave us a direction to head in. We thought all was going well and tried to get into the AUC. We were told by a man that we had to go outside and around the corner. No worries we thought, that sounds easy enough. We followed his directions and ended up a block to far to the east. We decided to start heading back to the major square that was nearby and we would start over....then it happened.
"Hello my friend! Where are you from?" shouted a voice to our left. An older gentleman was sitting in a chair along the road. After briefly chatting with him, he invited to his store (everyone has one) and then he offered us drinks. Having read a little in the Lonely Planet guide, we had an idea where this was going....
The man chatted with us briefly. A little talk about family and where we were from. His family apparently has a farm outside of town where they grow crops. These crops are then turned into oils...which oddly enough he just happened to sell in his store. My roommate is a fan of the oils, so he ended up buying a few from the gentleman. We didn't feel bad because he was nice and it looked as if he could have used the money. So we were alright with this. We then told him where we were headed and he got us back on the right path. Turns out we were to go back where we came....off we went.

We had only walked half a block and we were talking about the recent turn of events when all of a sudden....

"Hello! Where are you from? What are you looking for?" Another person along the street has kindly stopped to help us out. This one was a little different though...."Oh, yes the bookstore. It's straight ahead and then turn right. Wait, I can show you another one too, come..." He proceeded to talk us another block in the wrong direction. He constantly said, "No baksheesh (tip). I no want. This is for friendship. Friendship important."
The next coincidence came when his store just happened to be on the way to the other bookshop. We went in and chatted. He showed us a picture of the boxer Mohammed Ali, who had once visited the store. Then, seconds later, he was asking us if we liked oils and he began to get them out. Then he asked if we liked papyrus and his son brought out a huge stack of these things. He could tell I was not please because he kept asking me, "What's wrong? Why you no smile? This is about friendship not money...but if you like, We give you good price....you a lucky man!"
It was very difficult to bite my tongue and not lash out at this man. Once he heard the English, he saw us as $$ and went for the kill. Alex did end up buying some oil, but we managed to escape shortly after.

Eventually we stopped in a Costa Coffee shop near the AUC. I asked of the workers there where the bookshop was and he finally pointed us in the right direction. We found it 5 minutes later. The bookshop was everything we thought it would be with a great collection of Political, fiction and classic works, as well as anything you could ever want on Egyptian History.

It was a crazy, crazy day. 2 oil shops, hours in a 4 block area and eventually, we found our target.

My Deja Vu.....

So I've officially been a teacher for around four days now (really? that's it???) and I'm already starting to see some tendencies from my students. For example, the kid that didn't do his homework the first couple of days and had to stay in from break....yeah, that's going to happen a lot. The over-achiever that keeps doing everything you ask, perfectly....he'll keep doing it (thank God someone does). It's truly amazing to see the patterns already start to form in my classes. It's like I could almost fill in the gradebook for the rest of the year right now. Shoot, let's just forget the next 10 months, I'll give them a grade now!

While that's not exactly ethically acceptable and yes, one or two students may be able to turn it around, it's really true. I'm starting to see the patterns. Which brings me to what I'm trying to create....

....patterns. Routines. I'm trying to get these basic things in my students' heads now so that they aren't a constant battle for the entire year. For example, my students have a tendency to just blurt out. That has to change. They also have a tendency to call me "Meester, Meester". I have to remind them that I do have a name and if they want me to answer, they should use it. Otherwise I'll refer to them as, "Kid in the corner with glasses" or worse (if it was acceptable-use your imagination).

Truth be told, week one is in the books, since all we have to do on Thursday is spelling tests and reflections in journals. That's not bad. Plus, it's pay day and I have the last three periods empty. GOOD TIMES!!!!

My First Few Days......

Well, it's finally come and gone. We've actually started school! I didn't really think this day would come. To be honest, I thought that maybe, just maybe we would be able to delay school for the entire year. What a great year that would be!! Just planning, planning, planning....break....and then more planning. Good times.

The first day was chaos, to be honest. We were going on two different schedules at one point, the kids were excited and it was a mess. I won't even get into it, but when you only have around 30 minutes to teach, it's a little tricky to fit it all in.

Days two and three have gone much better. The students are starting to get settled in (and the teachers too). They are starting to really get a feel for my rules and expectations, which is good because the sooner this happens, the sooner we really start working. I've told them many times that my goal is to prepare them for next year, not only in the content they are learning, but in behavioral expectations too. I've heard too many stories of older students that don't listen, do pay attention and constantly do the wrong things. We'll see if I can get one or two grades to change that. But who knows, maybe they'll forget it all over the summer!

If you look really closely, you can see our new school....at least the exterior of it. 

My breaking point....

The last week has been crazy over here. We start school on Sunday and we're starting to get everything ready to go...posters, calenders, copies, supplies....the only drawback is that we have yet to actually see our classrooms. I've been creating posters for the last few days and I was expecting to hang them up today, so that I could go on the camping trip that I've had planned for a couple of weeks. Well, today has come and gone and still, we have not been in the school. So now, instead of camping, I get to be picked up by a bus Saturday morning (normally a day off) and go to the school to get my room set up.

While normally I wouldn't write a post like this, I'm a little upset right now. I feel as though I'm being punished because someone else is running behind. I know that I should be professional and take it in stride (which I am) but it's starting to wear on me. The posters are ready. Copies, ready. Now we just have to get into the building....not ready.

On the bright side, this allows me to further prepare for the first week of school and maybe even week 2. I'm ready for Week 1, but now I can create a couple more things for the classroom (Pen Pal signs and some other stuff). I just wish I was camping....

The suburb of Maadi, from the felucca. 

A felucca on the Nile. 

My Birthday abroad.....

So last Sunday was my first birthday that I have spent outside of the United States. It was a memorable one.

After a hard day of not doing much at school, I walked to Korba (45 min) to meet up with Kelly and Erica, two of the other teachers over here. We then took a cab to meet Reham, who had set up a felucca ride on the Nile for my bday. Awesome.

After taking a cab ride to Maadi and the banks of the Nile, we got on a felucca and were about to set off, when Kain (another teacher) called. He, Hollis and Gheda (yes, two other teachers) were there and they came to join in the festivities. So the seven of us set off on a ride that lasted a little over an hour.

It was so relaxing on the river!!! There was a gentle breeze that felt great and it was dark, so we could actually see some stars (a first in my time here). We ate a little bit of chocolate cake on the boat, drank some coke and shared some stories. To be honest, it is going down as one of my favorite birthdays thus far.

God Bless

My Address (kind of).....

Some of you have requested an address from me. The drawback is that if you attempt to send something to my home address, there is a very good chance that I won't get it. Mail has a tendency to disappear on its way to Egypt or once it gets here. Also, mail is very slow and any packages will be opened by Customs. So nothing illegal please (Dustin-Brad, this means you).

So due to this, I'm going to have my school address as my mailing address. I hope this works out and things make it.

Hopefully this will work!

Bill Flinn
Nefertari American International School-3rd Grade
Km. 22 Ismailia Road
Cairo, Egypt

My Answers II

Okay, so I got the RIP to Steve off my chest and now I can answer some of the questions that have come in (wow, I almost feel like a famous author or something).

For those of you that don't know, I'm here in Cairo teaching 3rd graders at Nefertari American International School. I teach English and Social Studies and I'll have around 30 students in my two classes. As awesome as this sounds, the drawback is that our start date has been pushed back (again), this time to the 24th of September. While this may be good, the drawback is that we now have to stay until the 28th of June AND our starting date is also the start of our Ramadan schedule. That means we will only have school from 8:30 to 1:30 AND the kids won't be able to focus because most of them will be fasting....for a month. Good Times.

As for my water situation, I've been drinking mostly bottled water. This is to avoid being on the receiving end of the Pharaoh's curse (which two of the new teachers already picked up). The only time I don't drink from a bottle is when we do ice cubes, but we boil that water for around 20 minutes before we put it in the trays.

I also had a question about what I eat over here. Mostly, it's a lot of fast food and pizza (am I in college again?). We have Otlob, which is a website that allows you to order from a ton of restaurants and they will call and place the order for you. It's amazing. Even Chili's in on the list.
Tonight however, I broke from the mold a little. I made flour tortillas tonight (yes, from scratch) and I plan on cooking up some mean quesadillas tomorrow for lunch. Tortillas are hard to come by over here. You can rarely find them in Royal House or Metro (to local grocery stores). It's an experiment, so we'll see how it works out.

That's all for now. Thanks soooo much for all the comments, questions, prayers and love that I've received over the last few weeks. It means a lot.

God Bless.

One of the pictures of Steve from his zoo in Beerwah.